Exothermic composition and method for waving hair



Patented. June 6, 1944 nxo'rnammo COMPOSITION AND Mn'rnon FOR wavmo mun Raymond E. Reed, St. Paul, Minn., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Raymond E. Lee, doing business as The Leed Company, St. Paul, Minn.

No Drawing. Application April 4, 1941,

- Serial No. 386,889

, 8 Claims;

The present invention relates to chemical coinpositions useful in the permanent waving of hair, and more particularly to mixtures of this type which may be activated by the addition thereto.

of water or other activating agent. The com-' positions of this invention are capable of generating sufficient heat to impart a permanent wave to hair without the presence in the composition of a metallic constituent.

The so-called machineless waving of hair involves, in general, first pre-forming a tress of hair, as by winding the same on a mandrel, the hair conventionally being moistened with a liquid softening agent. The chemical composition intended to provide the heat necessary for imparting the permanent wave is generally supplied in an. envelope having a pervious face. Water or other activating agent is applied to the chemicals by applying a moistened absorbent sheet over the pervious face, by dipping the pad in water, etc., and the pad is then immediately wound around the tress of hair and fastened into place.

Chemical mixtures intended for this use are designed to attain a temperature at or slightly above 100 C. within two minutes after activation, to maintain such temperature and at the same time to generate a suitable quantity of steam for a period of approximately eight minutes, and at the end of this period to cool rather rapidly as a result of the depletion of chemical activity of the mixture. I

Several types of exothermic compositions for this purpose are known, the type most widely. used containing a metal, such as aluminum, an oxidizing agent and various electrolytes. Mixtures capable of generating suflicient'heat in the absence of a metal have also been proposed, for example a mixture of an organic acid, such 'as formic or oxalic acid, with a strong oxidizing agent. It has been found, however, that organic thermore, the long hydrocarbon chain attached to the carboxyl radical tends to resist oxidation.

Another proposal has been the use of low molecular weight polyhydroxy alcohols, such as glycol, which can be progressively oxidized to glycolic aldehyde, 'glycolic acid or glyoxal, glyoxylic acid, oxalic acid, and finally to carbon dioxide and water. The use of these substances is objectionable not only because of the volatility of the alcohol and of the oxidation products intermediate the finaLcarbon dioxide evolution, but also because the alcohols are liquids at ordinary temperatures. Thus in a type of hair waving pad used to a limited extent, consisting 1 essentiallyof a mixture of potassium permanganate and filler enclosed in a permeable envelope, and activated by an absorbent'heet moistened with a solution which is essentially glycerine and water, the moistened activating sheets are by necessity sold in a sealed container separate from the envelopes with which they are used.

Further objections are encountered in the use of odors, which, to many people, is almost as obacids are generally not suitable for this use. The 3 the mixture from meeting the requirements of a composition to be used in a sealed but perforated pad or envelope. Organic acids containing larger numbers of carbon atoms tend to have the advantage of less volatility by themselves and for their intermediate oxidation products,- but are not usable to advantage because as the number of carbon atoms is increased, the solubility, and the ease and rate of oxidation decrease, and furjectionable as the original odor.

By the present invention there is provided an exothermic composition which may be activated by water or other activating agent, which is capable of generating sumcient heat for hair waving purposes in the absence of a metallic constituent and which consists essentially of a dry, stable mixture of a relatively non-volatile, solid, oxidizable organic compound and a strong inorganic oxidizing agent. Itis generally 'desirable to add a filler. Although this composition will be described in connection with its use in hair waving, it ,will be understood that it is adapted to other uses, such as body-warmers,

etc., as will be obvious from the following descrip Another object is the provision of a dry, stable composition of this type, comprising essentially a non-volatile, solid, oxidizable organic compound and an oxidizing agent.

Further objects and advantages of the invention are the provision of an exothermic composition and method in which gaseous end product is not appreciable, in which all the active in-' gredients of the mixture can be contained in or intimately associated with an envelope containing some of the ingredients, in the use of which the hands of the operator are not requried to contact an oily activating solution, and the oxidizable organic constituent of which, and its intermediate products of oxidation, are essentially non-volatile in steam and free from objectionable odor. Other objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

I have found the solid, substantially non-hygroscopic polyhydric alcohols, particularly the hexahydric alcohols, to be admirably adapted for use as an oxidizable constituent of my composition. Hexahydric alcohols are carbohydrates of the formula CH2OH(CHOH)4CH2OH. Specific examples are mannitol, dulcitol and sorbitol.

Among oxidizing agents, the permanganates are particularly suitable for use in my composition. Other oxidizing agents, such as chlorates, nitrates, persulphates, perchlorates, and in some cases peroxides, may be used.

As fillers, talc, sand, diatomaceous earth and other ingredients may be used.

The rate, duration and intensity of the exothermic reaction may be controlled by the selection and the proportions of the ingredients. By way of illustrating the application of the invention to the hair waving art, a permeable envelope of conventional structure may be filled with six grams of the following mixture:

Per cent Mannitol, crystallized 15 Potassium perman n 45 Talc 40 Such composition in a container of the type described will resist deterioration due to the moisture in the atmosphere for a considerable period of time, and is regarded as a stable mixture.

At the time'of use a suitable absorbent sheet may be moistened with substantially 4 cc. of water and applied to the pervious envelope, the assembly then being drapped and clamped around a pre-formed tress of hair.

It has been found that in certain instances it is advantageous to add a small amount of an acid-generating substance, which may be for examplean acid salt or a salt which produces acidity upon hydrolysis. Thus to the above mixture can be added 5% of' sodium acid sulphate for the purpose of increasing-the rate of initial reaction and the intensity of reaction. Obviously such acid components should be non-hygroscopic to preserve the stability of the mixture, and should not include appreciable portions of low molecular weight organic acids such as oxalic acid, whose disadvantages have already been discussed.

In certain cases sucrose and/or dextrine can be added to the composition, mainly for the purpose of extending .the' duration of the reaction.

While in the example given above all the chemical constituents of the mixture were enclosed within a permeable or perforated envelope, alternative methods are also contemplated. Thus the activating absorbent sheet may be impregnated with the dry, crystalline hexahydric alcohol so Position comprising a hexahydric alcohol and an oxidizing agent which is soluble in said activating agent.

2. Means for waving hair including a chemical combination capable of generating heat upon the addition of water thereto, said combination including an alcohol selected from the group consisting of mannitol, dulcitol and sorbitol, and an inorganic oxidizing agent selected from the group consisting of permanganates, chlorates, nitrates and persulfates.

3. A chemical composition capable of generating heat upon the addition of water thereto, said composition including a hexahydric alcohol and an oxidizing agent comprising a permanganate which is sufllciently soluble in water to effect the heat-generating reaction upon addition of water to the composition.

4. A chemical composition for use in hair waving, said composition being capable of generating heat upon the addition of an aqueous activating agent thereto and comprising a hexahydric alcohol, an inorganic oxidizing agent which is sufliciently soluble in the activating agent to effect the heat-generating reaction, and an inoranic acidic substance, said acidic substance being present in the composition in lesser amount than the hexahydric alcohol.

5'. A chemical composition for use in hair waving, said composition being capable of generating heat upon the addition of an aqueous medium thereto and comprising a hexahydric alcohol, -a strong inorganic oxidizing agent which is sufll ciently soluble in said aqueous medium to effect the heat-generating reaction, and a substance selected from the group consisting of sucrose and dextrine.

6. The method of waving hair which includes preforming a tress of hair, generating heat by applying an aqueous activating agent to an exothermic chemical mixture which contains a hexahydric alcohol and an inorganic oxidizing agent which as soluble in said activating agent. and applying the heat so generated to the preformed hair.

7. The method of waving hair which includes pre-forming a tress of hair, generating heat by adding an aqueous activating medium to anexothermic chemical mixture which contains a hexahydric alcohol and an oxidizing agent comprising a permanganate, said permanganate being sufficiently soluble in said aqueous activating medium to efl'ect the heat-generating reaction, and applying the heat so generated to the preformed hair.

8. A chemical heating combination capable of generating heat upon the addition of an aqueous activating agent, said combination including a hexahydric alcohol and an oxidizing agent which is sufllcientlysoluble in the activating agent to cfl'ect the heat-generating reaction.

RAYMOND E. REED.

' CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Pt-ent 2,55 ,9 5- June 6, 191414,.

RAYMOND .E. REED.

It is hereby certified that error appears 'in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, second column, linel'Y, for "heet read --sheetv--; pag first n, line 5, after the Word product" insert --evolution--; line 51, for "drapped" read --wrapped--; and second column, line 55, claim 6, for as" read' --1--; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with tl'fis correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office. 7

Signed and sealed this 1st day of August, A. D. 19bi Leslie Frazer I (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

